This invention relates generally to the field of dispensing devices and systems. More particularly, this invention relates to the field of devices and systems for dispensing paper products such as napkins, towels, toilet tissue, etc.
Various types of dispensers for paper products have been developed to provide ready availability of the paper product to users. Such dispensers are often provided in public places such as restaurants or rest rooms where customers remove from the dispenser a desired amount of paper products for personal use. In some high traffic areas, such as fast food restaurants, a large number of customers may use a paper product dispenser such as a napkin dispenser in a short period of time. Therefore, dispensers have been developed that hold a large number of paper products for use by a large number of consumers.
Unfortunately, large dispensers are subject to a number of drawbacks. First, it is difficult to uniformly dispense individual paper products from a large dispenser without dispensing more paper products than necessary to a user. Thus, too many paper products are removed by a user, and some of the paper products are wasted. If too many paper products are removed from a dispenser, the benefits provided by a large dispenser are eliminated as the dispenser is emptied more rapidly.
Second, many dispensers are difficult to load, and that difficulty can increase with the size of the dispenser. If paper products are not properly loaded into the dispenser, the paper products may jam as they are removed thereby preventing further removal of paper products by users. Also, a person refilling a large dispenser is more likely, due to the larger number of paper products involved, to drop some of the paper products onto a floor. Any dropped paper products are then unsanitary and must be discarded, thereby creating more waste and again defeating the benefits of the larger dispenser.
A further drawback of many currently available dispensers regardless of size is that it is impossible to determine without opening the dispenser how many paper products remain within the dispenser. Thus, a person must either periodically check the dispenser to determine how many paper products remain or be vigilant to refill the dispenser as soon as it is empty. Both alternatives involve much personal attention and, especially during peak usage, can lead to empty dispensers if dispensers are not vigilantly monitored.
According to certain aspects of the invention, a stacked paper product dispensing cartridge is disclosed. The cartridge comprises a plurality of walls including side walls and at least one end wall, the end wall having four side edges and each of the side walls having a bottom edge. Each of the side edges meets the bottom edge of a respective one of the side walls to form a bottom corner, the side walls and the end wall defining an interior area therein. A dispensing opening is defined within at least the end wall, and a plurality of side openings are defined within the side walls and spaced from the dispensing opening. Stacked paper products are disposed in the interior area oriented so as to extend substantially perpendicular to at least one of the side walls. The stacked paper products are dispensable out of the interior area through the dispensing opening. At least one of the side openings is configured to allow contact of the stacked paper products from outside of the interior area.
The dispensing opening may be defined only through the end wall, or may be defined through the end wall and at least one of the side walls.
The plurality of walls may include first, second, third and fourth side walls, and the plurality of side openings may include a first side opening defined within the first side wall and a second side opening defined within the second side wall. The first and second side openings may be configured to allow contact of the stacked paper products from outside of the interior area. The first and second side walls may be opposing side walls. The plurality of side openings may further include at least one side opening located in the third wall and configured so as to provide a visual indication of the number of paper products within the interior area.
The at least one end wall may be formed not perpendicular to at least one of the side walls, and the side walls may be substantially longer than the at least one end wall. The at least one end wall may include two end walls disposed at opposite ends of the side walls.
The cartridge may also include at least one additional opening defined within the first end wall and one of the side walls so as to extend across one of the bottom corners. The at least one additional opening may include a plurality of the additional openings. Two of the bottom corners may be located along opposite side edges of the end wall, and at least one of the plurality of additional openings is respectively disposed along each of the two bottom corners.
A plurality of slot openings may be defined within the first end wall and at least one of the side walls such as the fourth wall, so as to extend across one of the bottom corners. The slot openings may be substantially diamond shaped.
According to other aspects of the invention, a cartridge for stacked paper products is disclosed including a cartridge housing a plurality of side walls and end walls, and wherein the end walls contact the side walls to define an interior area. A dispensing opening is defined within a first end wall, and a first side opening is defined within a first side wall. A second side opening is defined within a second side wall, and the second side wall is opposite the first side wall. Stacked paper products are disposed in the interior area oriented so as to extend substantially perpendicular to the side walls.
The dispensing opening may be defined entirely within the first end wall, or may be defined within the first end wall and a third side wall. A third side opening may be located in the third side wall and configured so as to provide a visual indication of the number of paper products within the interior area.
According to another aspect of the invention, a stacked paper product dispensing cartridge is disclosed including a cartridge including a plurality of side walls and first and second end walls. The end walls contact the side walls to define an interior area. A dispensing opening is at least partially defined within the first end wall, and at least one slot opening defined within the first end wall and one side wall. Stacked paper products are disposed in the interior area oriented so as to extend substantially perpendicular to at least one of the side walls. The at least one slot opening may be a plurality of slot openings, and at least one of the slot openings may be defined within the first end wall and first side wall, and at least one of the slot openings may be defined within the first end wall and a second end wall. The first and second end walls may oppose one another. The dispensing opening may be sized to provide metered delivery of paper products, and may be centrally located within the first end wall. A plurality of the slot openings may be positioned on opposite sides of the dispensing opening. A first side opening may be at least partially defined within a third side wall and a second side opening may be at least partially defined within a fourth side wall, the side openings configured to allow contact of the stacked paper products from outside of the interior area. A side opening may be located in the second side wall and configured so as to provide a visual indication of the number of paper products within the interior area.
The at least one slot opening may be a plurality of slot openings, and the plurality of slot openings may be defined within the first end wall and a first side wall. The dispensing opening may be defined within the first end wall and a second side wall.
The first side wall and second side wall may oppose one another, and a side opening may be located in the second side wall and configured so as to provide a visual indication of the number of paper products within the interior area. A first side opening may be defined within at least a third side wall, and a second side opening may be at least partially defined within a fourth side wall, the side openings configured to allow contact of the stacked paper products from outside of the interior area.
According to another aspect of the invention, a stacked paper product dispensing cartridge is disclosed including a plurality of walls including side walls and first and second end walls. The end walls contact the side walls at opposite ends thereof and define an interior area therein. A first removable section is provided for forming a dispensing opening, the first removable section including at least a portion of the first end wall and one side wall. A plurality of side openings are defined within the side walls and are spaced from the removable section. Stacked paper products are disposed in the interior area oriented so as to extend substantially perpendicular to at least one of the side walls. The stacked paper products are dispensable out of the interior area through the dispensing opening. The side openings are configured to allow contact of the stacked paper product from outside of the interior area.
The dispensing opening may be created by removing all of the first end wall and a portion of at least one of the side walls. The side walls may include first, second, third and fourth side walls, and the plurality of side openings may include a first side opening defined within the first side wall and a second side opening defined within the second side wall. The first and second side openings maybe configured to allow contact of the paper products from outside of the interior area. The first and second side walls may be opposing side walls, and an additional opening may be located in the third wall and configured so as to provide a visual indication of the number of paper products within the interior area. The removable section may include the entire first end wall and a portion of the first, second, third and fourth side walls, the side walls may be substantially longer than the end walls.
Additional aspects, objects, and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be learned through the practice of the invention.